Question 1

The act of helping someone unconditionally defines
A)the social responsibility norm.
B)egoism.
C)social-exchange theory.
D)altruism.

Accepted Answer

Altruism is the act of helping someone unconditionally, without any expectation of personal gain or benefit. It is motivated purely by empathy and concern for the well-being of others. The other options, such as social responsibility norm, egoism, and social-exchange theory, don't necessarily involve the same level of selflessness or lack of personal gain.

Question 2

Before agreeing to help out at the local homeless shelter,Sharon weighs the costs (e.g.,getting up at dawn)and benefits (e.g.,feeling good about herself)of doing so.This strategy would be predicted by
A)the empathy-altruism hypothesis.
B)the social-exchange theory.
C)the social responsibility norm.
D)the social comparison theory.

Accepted Answer

The social-exchange theory suggests that people weigh the costs and benefits of helping others before deciding whether to do so. In this case, Sharon is weighing the costs (getting up at dawn) and benefits (feeling good about herself) of helping out at the homeless shelter, which is consistent with the social-exchange theory. The other options are not relevant to this scenario - the empathy-altruism hypothesis suggests that some people help others because they feel empathy for them, the social responsibility norm suggests that people have a moral obligation to help others in need, and the social comparison theory suggests that people evaluate their own abilities and beliefs by comparing themselves to others.

Question 3

According to the text,a possible explanation for why people far from home leave tips for waiters is that
A)it makes them feel less homesick.
B)they expect to be treated better from those waiters in the future.
C)they know waiters are in need of money.
D)it makes them feel good about themselves.

Accepted Answer

Tipping while far from home may be motivated by the desire to feel good about oneself, as it is a form of altruism that can enhance the giver's mood and self-perception.

Question 4

According to the social-exchange theory,people help when
A)the gains are external and the losses are internal.
B)the gains are greater than the losses.
C)the gains and losses are proportional.
D)the gains are smaller than the losses.

Accepted Answer

According to the social-exchange theory, people help when the gains are greater than the losses. When people perceive that the benefits of helping outweigh the costs or potential risks involved, they are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior. Therefore, choice B is the best answer.

Question 5

You observe a woman rush into the street in front of a speeding car to pull a child out of the way.According to Skinner's analysis of altruism,in which of the following situations would you not see her action as altruistic?
A)The woman was a stranger to the child.
B)The speeding car was a police car.
C)Another woman had done the same thing the week before.
D)The woman was related to the child.

Accepted Answer

According to Skinner's analysis of altruism, an action is less likely to be seen as altruistic if the person performing the action stands to gain personally from it, such as saving a relative, which could be motivated by genetic self-interest.

Question 6

The act of human interaction with the intent to minimize one's costs and maximize one's rewards defines
A)social-exchange theory.
B)egoism.
C)the reciprocity norm.
D)self-theory.

Accepted Answer

Social-exchange theory describes how individuals interact with others to maximize rewards and minimize costs. It suggests that individuals engage in social relationships to receive benefits, and those relationships are maintained as long as the rewards outweigh the costs. This theory can apply to a range of social behaviors, including romantic relationships, friendships, and professional relationships. Egoism is a broader concept that refers to the idea that individuals act in their own best self-interest. The reciprocity norm is a social norm that suggests individuals should reciprocate positive actions that others have done for them. Self-theory is not a recognized psychological theory or concept.

Question 7

According to the social-exchange theory,Wendy will be more likely to help Amanda,who is a stranger,if Amanda
A)is a very sociable person.
B)offers to give Wendy some sort of small gift.
C)seems to be a substitute for someone Wendy cares about.
D)looks like Wendy's mother.

Accepted Answer

Social-exchange theory suggests that people are more likely to help others if they anticipate receiving something in return, such as a reward or a gift, which aligns with choice B.

Question 8

A major weakness of the social-exchange theory is that it
A)is impossible to test experimentally.
B)fails to account for the reciprocal exchange of favours.
C)easily degenerates into explaining-by-naming.
D)ignores the role of internal self-rewards in motivating altruism.

Accepted Answer

Explaining-by-naming is a major weakness of the social-exchange theory because it simply restates the observed behaviour without providing any real explanation for it.

Question 9

We are more likely to redeem ourselves with helpful behaviour when ______________.
A)no one knows about our misdeeds.
B)other people know about our misdeeds.
C)we are afraid that someone will find out about our misdeeds.
D)we are not guilty of our misdeeds.

Accepted Answer

When other people know about our misdeeds, we may feel a sense of accountability or responsibility to make up for our flaws. This can lead us to engage in helpful behaviour as a way of redeeming ourselves in the eyes of others. In contrast, when no one knows about our misdeeds or we are not guilty of them, we may not feel the same sense of urgency to make up for our actions through helpful behaviour.

Question 10

According to the social-exchange theory,the rewards that motivate helping are
A)internal or external.
B)internal only.
C)external only.
D)consciously recognized before the act of helping.

Accepted Answer

The social-exchange theory suggests that people are motivated to help when the rewards outweigh the costs. These rewards can be internal, such as feeling good about oneself or gaining a sense of satisfaction, or external, including social approval or tangible rewards like money or gifts. Therefore, both internal and external rewards can be motivators for helping behavior, making option A the best choice. It is not necessary for the rewards to be consciously recognized before the act of helping in this theory.

Question 11

The ultimate goal of altruism is to ______________,and the ultimate goal of egoism is to ________________.
A)contribute to another's welfare; contribute to one's own welfare.
B)contribute to one's own welfare; contribute to one's own welfare.
C)contribute to another's welfare; contribute to one's own welfare as well as another's welfare.
D)contribute to the welfare of next of kin; contribute to one's own welfare.

Accepted Answer

Altruism is focused on contributing to another's welfare, while egoism is focused on contributing to one's own welfare.

Question 12

Altruism's ultimate goal is to
A)contribute to another's welfare.
B)contribute to one's own welfare.
C)contribute to one's own welfare as well as another's welfare.
D)contribute to the welfare of next of kin.

Accepted Answer

Altruism is defined as behavior that benefits others without benefiting oneself. The ultimate goal of altruism is to contribute to another's welfare, without regard for one's own benefit.

Question 13

According to the text,which of the following is a possible explanation for why people are kind to strangers they will never see again?
A)They expect to be treated well themselves in the future.
B)It gives them a feeling of satisfaction.
C)They know the stranger is in need of help.
D)It makes them overcome feelings of loneliness.

Accepted Answer

According to the text, one possible explanation for why people are kind to strangers they will never see again is because it gives them a feeling of satisfaction.

Question 14

The doctrine of psychological egoism maintains that
A)self-esteem is a more important motive than social approval.
B)self-interest motivates all behaviour.
C)our self-concept is determined by others' evaluation of us.
D)the healthy personality has a strong ego.

Accepted Answer

The doctrine of psychological egoism asserts that all human actions are ultimately motivated by self-interest or selfish motives. Therefore, choice B is the best answer option. The other options are unrelated to the doctrine of psychological egoism.

Question 15

Researcher Dennis Krebs found that university men whose physiological responses revealed the most distress in response to another's distress
A)gave the most help to the person.
B)became self-focused and gave little help to the person.
C)were more likely to rationalize the other's distress as deserved.
D)tended to be majoring in the humanities rather than in the natural sciences.

Accepted Answer

Krebs found that university men whose physiological responses revealed the most distress in response to another's distress were the most likely to give help to the person.

Question 16

Altruism is to ___________________ as egoism is to ___________________.
A)Gouldner; Batson
B)reciprocity; social justice
C)evolutionary theory; social norms theory
D)another's welfare; one's own welfare

Accepted Answer

Altruism is the concern for and action towards the well-being of others without any expectation of personal gain. Egoism, on the other hand, is the concern for and action towards one's own well-being and interests. Therefore, the best answer is D, as it directly contrasts the focus of altruism with that of egoism.

Question 17

Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan provides the classic illustration of
A)altruism.
B)persuasion.
C)conformity.
D)social loafing.

Accepted Answer

The parable of the Good Samaritan is often used to illustrate altruism, or behavior that is motivated by a genuine concern for the well-being of others. In the parable, a Samaritan helps a stranger who has been robbed and left on the side of the road, despite the fact that Samaritans were considered social outcasts by many in the society at that time. This act of kindness is seen as an example of altruism because the Samaritan receives no tangible benefit from helping the stranger.

Question 18

According to the social-exchange theory,we use a ___________ strategy in deciding when and whether to help others.
A)social comparison
B)compensatory
C)minimax
D)marginal utility

Accepted Answer

The social-exchange theory suggests that individuals use a minimax strategy when deciding whether to help others. This means that individuals weigh the potential costs and benefits of helping and make a decision that minimizes their potential losses and maximizes their gains. The compensatory strategy involves balancing positive and negative outcomes, while social comparison theory involves comparing oneself to others. Marginal utility theory relates to diminishing returns on investment. Therefore, the best choice for this answer is C, minimax.

Question 19

Egoism's ultimate goal is to
A)contribute to another's welfare.
B)contribute to one's own welfare as well as another's welfare.
C)contribute to one's own welfare.
D)contribute to the welfare of next of kin.

Accepted Answer

Egoism is a philosophy that asserts that individuals should do what is in their own self-interest. This means that the ultimate goal of an egoist is to contribute to their own welfare, even if it comes at the expense of others. Therefore, the best choice is C, which states that the ultimate goal of egoism is to contribute to one's own welfare.

Question 20

Social-exchange theorists argue that we are most likely to help someone
A)who is dependent on us.
B)who is less attractive than we are.
C)who deserves to be helped.
D)whose approval is important to us.

Accepted Answer

We are most likely to help someone whose approval is important to us because we want to maintain a positive relationship with them.

Quiz 8: Altruism: Helping Others

The act of helping someone unconditionally defines

Before agreeing to help out at the local homeless shelter,Sharon weighs the costs (e.g.,getting up at dawn) and benefits (e.g.,feeling good about herself) of doing so.This strategy would be predicted by

According to the text,a possible explanation for why people far from home leave tips for waiters is that

According to the social-exchange theory,people help when

You observe a woman rush into the street in front of a speeding car to pull a child out of the way.According to Skinner's analysis of altruism,in which of the following situations would you not see her action as altruistic?

The act of human interaction with the intent to minimize one's costs and maximize one's rewards defines

According to the social-exchange theory,Wendy will be more likely to help Amanda,who is a stranger,if Amanda

A major weakness of the social-exchange theory is that it

We are more likely to redeem ourselves with helpful behaviour when ______________.

According to the social-exchange theory,the rewards that motivate helping are

The ultimate goal of altruism is to ,and the ultimate goal of egoism is to __.

Altruism's ultimate goal is to

According to the text,which of the following is a possible explanation for why people are kind to strangers they will never see again?

The doctrine of psychological egoism maintains that

Researcher Dennis Krebs found that university men whose physiological responses revealed the most distress in response to another's distress

Altruism is to _ as egoism is to _.

Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan provides the classic illustration of

According to the social-exchange theory,we use a ___________ strategy in deciding when and whether to help others.

Egoism's ultimate goal is to

Social-exchange theorists argue that we are most likely to help someone